International fans of panchira fighting anime Ikkitousen are voicing their anger at the decision of a game censorship body to effectively ban the latest game in the series, Ikkitousen: Shining Dragon, for the PS2.

Rather than tone down the content of the oppai fighting game in order to garner a more workable rating, the localisers instead opted to cancel the English language version.

The Entertainment Standards Ratings Board gave the latest Ikkitousen game a “mature” rating, a major blow for games hoping for widespread retail distribution, due to the nature of the game’s battle style which leaves characters nearly bereft of clothing.

They justified their decision thus:

All the female characters are dressed in short skirts or skirts with a high slit. The game features frequent depictions of panties, cleavage, and exaggerated breast jiggle. A special attack move allows some characters to rip opponents’ clothes to shreds – exposing even more of the female anatomy (legs, breasts, partial buttocks).

The mature rating would damage the game’s distribution, as stores are frequently reluctant to deal with such titles. The less damaging rating of “teen” would have prevented this. Generally, game publishers go to great lengths to manage the rating of their games to ensure ready access to shelf space.

Officials with Valcon Games, the company holding license rights to Ikkitousen games, said they could release a censored version of the game, but feel such a move would not remain true to the quasi-nudity characteristics for which the franchise is known, or as they put it:

“We could remove all the stuff that makes it an M-rated game, but then we don’t think the customers would be very happy buying an Ikki Tousen game without all the shredded clothing.”

The ESRB only speaks for North American releases, so it is possible the game may make its way to countries with less strict qualifications for appropriate fighting attire, although it seems unlikely anyone would bother.

The ESRB itself is known as something of a rigged organisation, as most of its raters “include retired school principals, parents, professionals, and other individuals from all walks of life,” but do not include actual gamers, akin to having movies rated by people who have never seen one and only see caps. Ratings are even based on game footage and not actual play…

Many top selling games are M rated and I know of no stores reluctant to sell them. Wal-Mart has gone back on it's policy and sell GTA now. The only restriction for M rated games is prohibited sale to minors, which is only store policy.

Is the article not confusing M with AO (adults only)? Stores won't sell AO games, of which none have been made.

Wait, this is an M rated game or an AO rated game? There are tons of M rated games out there. All the Resident Evil and Grand Theft Auto Games are rated M and places like Wal-Mart, Target, Gamestop and Best Buy sell these games. I'm pretty sure the ESRB just doesn't want a repeat of the Hot Coffee incident.

And if you want proof that Americans get all pissy about sex and nudity and don't mind violence too much, watch the South Park episode "Good Times With Weapons".

It was rated M but the holding company seems to be throwing a fuss about it. They wanted a Teen Rating but since it got an M they want to scrap overseas distribution rather than have a toned down Teen Rated version.

This is because America is more sexphobic than it is afraid of violence and such. Everyone sees nudity at some point, especially since we have to be naked to do things like shower. It's an all natural part of life. Ripping someone's arm off and beating them over the head with it is not so nice but we'd rather see that than a nipple. I hate our backwards morals. Maybe if we loosened up a bit we'd be happier.

FUCK THEM!!! THEN LESSEN THE BOUNCING BREAST ON THE JAILBAITS ON DOA GAMES!!! FUCK FUCK FUCK~~~!!!! THAT FUCKING FUCK CALLED FUCKING CENSORSHIP~~~~FUCK!!!! AND WHO EVER VOTED ON THE I WILL BUY CENSORED IKKITOUSEN~~~FUCK YOU GUYS~!!! JUST FUCK!!!

How funny. In the Sega Saturn game, Fighting Vipers there were several Female characters who you could strip down to nearly nothing by destryoying their armor, and how about Soul Calibur? The Breasts in that game Jiggle nearly as much as they do in Dead or Alive.

"All the female characters are dressed in short skirts or skirts with a high slit. The game features frequent depictions of panties, cleavage, and exaggerated breast jiggle. A special attack move allows some characters to rip opponents’ clothes to shreds - exposing even more of the female anatomy (legs, breasts, partial buttocks)."

WTF? The reasons why they gave it an M basically EXACTLY describes other games already on the american market that have a T rating, like SOUL CALIBUR 4. If they can be released with a T then why can't Ikkitousen? That's just majorly FUCKED UP.

I say they just release it uncensored but with the M rating. Dead or Alive 4 had it and it sold well. I would have liked that option in the poll.

I think it's interesting how they are reluctant to release an M rated game, and yet 96% of the poll says they'll only buy the uncensored version.. bad marketing judgement? I'd say there's more than enough "Mature" guys to buy this game, should they ever release it as it is.

AOs aren't going to be on display in major markets that don't specifically deal in sex-related things anyway, so they already know what's what about that. Ikkitousen, however, is far more known for its echiness than insane fights; you can bet most people that pick up the title aren't looking for an engaging storyline or the actual gameplay.

It's just a really expensive excuse to see big-titted girls get naked. I bet there's not one selectable non-boss guy in the whole game.

"All the female characters are dressed in short skirts or skirts with a high slit. The game features frequent depictions of panties, cleavage, and exaggerated breast jiggle. A special attack move allows some characters to rip opponents’ clothes to shreds - exposing even more of the female anatomy (legs, breasts, partial buttocks)."

I wasn't even expecting this game to come to the US, this would be the only game I would want play from this publisher if it's not censored, on their site every other game is just whatever.
http://www.valcongames.com/
Even if they're aiming for a T rating it still wouldn't sell well. And I'm sure the diehard Ikkitousen fan already has a import, or a burnt copy.

Something isn't right when "jiggly breasts" are given the same rating as "severing an enemy's testicles by pulling a sickle between his legs" and "stabbing an enemy in the back with a crowbar, following it up by jamming it into the enemy's head, wiggling it in the skull, and finally prying the head off from the spine" (from the game Manhunt).

most obvious is the Grand Theft Auto argument i suppose. that franchise has always pushed the line with game ratings and im surprised they havent passed M yet. With that said,the franchise has never had real trouble generating profit off their famous products and i believe that either the japanese company that produces ikkitousen didnt want to fight harder for their game's release or couldnt afford to. Probably being sold on a near obsolete model console(ps2 is somewhat phased out at this time lol) didnt help either. It really shouldnt and probably couldnt of been the pure violence vs sexual conflict,but more so a well thought out pro con decision.

Well I think it's a bit pointless to censor a game which has been promoted almost completely on the breasts that move, the clothes that are torn apart and panchira...
I mean you don't watch Ikkitousen or Queen's blade only for its story or you'd be lying, you watch it also because you can see all of this so why the fuck would you want to censor it if it's done specically for all this?
But I guess it was more or less predictable ... Unnecessary but predictable ... -_-'

ok to be hounest i think this is a load of horce S#$%
mostly cas um wev already had all of that in previous games sutch as rumble roses, teken, soul caliber and pretty much every fighting game to have ever come from japan i meen in gulty gear they show an up skirt vew of Bridget with no underwear on don't really see the difference here